Wheat (Triticum spp.) farm yields must increase by 2%-3% annually to meet the expected global demand in 2050. Future production scenarios under climatic change have profound impacts on food security and sustainability, especially where 50% of wheat is currently produced and vulnerability and risk are highest, i.e. in low- and middle-income countries. While future wheat varieties will continue to require increased yield potential, heat and drought tolerance, and quality traits, our objective is to identify key traits that could contribute to enhanced sustainability and intensification of future cropping systems. We conducted a global survey of wheat experts (n=214) spanning a wide set of disciplines and working in 49 countries. The survey prioritized 18 potential breeding target traits by ranking each for its relevance, potential impact, feasibility and innovativeness. Breeders and agronomists generally agreed that N-uptake, N-utilization, early vigor, root architecture and stem water-soluble carbohydrates are potentially impactful traits to prioritize. Breeding wheat for maximized production at an agricultural system level was also prioritized as innovative and likely impactful. Optimizing the rhizosphere-microbiome interaction, and decreasing nighttime respiration, despite being very innovative were considered of low potential impact due to low feasibility of breeding for their improvement. We provide scientific bases for pre-breeding efforts to bridge existing gaps between basic science, genetic resources and applied breeding, and suggest opportunities for breeding wheat varieties designed for sustainable cropping systems.